Cryospheric Hydrometeorology Observation in the Hulu Catchment (CHOICE), Qilian Mountains, China

• Published in: Vadose Zone Journal
• Main Authors: Chuntan Han, Rensheng Chen, Zhangwen Liu, Yong Yang, Junfeng Liu, Yaoxuan Song, Lei Wang, Guohua Liu, Shuhai Guo, Xiqiang Wang
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 2018
• Subjects: Environmental sciences; GE1-350; Geology; QE1-996.5; Hulu; permafrost
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.2136/vzj2018.03.0058; https://doaj.org/article/7f7fdbd8684144d3b541a4ac0949b4fc

Understanding cryospheric hydrology and the effects of cryospheric changes on river runoff is critical for sustainable water management especially in arid inland river basins such as those in northwest China where water resources mainly come from alpine areas. A cryospheric hydrometeorology observation system (CHOICE) has been established since 2008 in the Hulu catchment, which is a well-instrumented experimental and representative catchment in the upper reaches of the inland Hei River, Qilian Mountains, northwest China. The CHOICE includes dense meteorological measurements from 2980 to 4800 m asl (e.g. glacier, snow, and permafrost hydrology) and water and heat balance in the vertical landscape zones including alpine grassland, meadow, shrub, coniferous forest, marshy meadow, and moraine-talus zones. The comprehensive long-term observations available for the CHOICE provide the basis for model development and application in cryospheric hydrological research. We focus on cryospheric hydrometeorological process of precipitation, freeze–thaw cycle, energy balance, soil–vegetation–atmosphere transfer (SVAT), runoff, groundwater reservoir, and hydrological resiliency within vertical elevation in CHIOCE. Data from CHOICE, an open cryospheric hydrology observation and research system, is accessed through a website (/) and the WestDC database (/).